Fastening device



Aug. 10, 1954 H, D PE1-R1 2,685,720

FASTENING DEVICE l Filed nec. 19, 195o INVENTOR:

HECTOR D. PE1-Rl, Erm/'fm AGENT. A

Patented Aug. 10,Y 1954 UNITED STATE TEN? OFFICE FASTENING DEVICE Application December 19, 1950, Serial N o. 201,607

(Cl. 24h73) l Ciaim. F ii rI'his invention relates generally to fastening devices, and has particular reference to a sheet metal fastener which is adapted for engagement with a wire or the like.

In certain mechanical assemblies, it is frequently desirable to attach a wire to an operating member of a mechanism, so that a pull applied to the wire will be transmitted to the operating member. In many cases, it is also desirable that the assembly be so arranged thatthe wire be able to transmit a certain amount of pushing force to the operating member, in which case the wire is made relatively thick in relation to its length, or is encased in a suitable housing throughout its length. In either case, some means must be provided for attaching the Wire to the operating member so that slippage of the wire relative thereto is prevented. Devices used heretofore for such applications have not been entirely satisfac tory, since such devices commonly comprise a number of individual parts which must be asserzibled during attachment of the wire to the operating member, thereby increasing the cost of the completed assembly. Such devices have also been subject to loosening in service so as to allow slippage of the wire in the fastening device.

The object of the invention is to provide a fastener for assembly onto a wire for gripping engagement therewith to transmit push and pull motion applied to the wire to an operating member of a mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fastener for assembly onto the end of a wire in which a pair of diverging arms having openings for receiving the wire are provided with means actuated by closing of the arms to engage a portion of the wire disposed therebetween.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a sheet metal fastener of this general type which is adapted for rapid assembly into gripping engagement with a wire without substantial deformation of the wire.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a one-piece fastener as set forth above which is adapted for attachment to both a wire and an operating member of a mechanism in which the wire is utilized for locking the fastener into assembly with the operating member.

Other objects of the invention will, in part, be obvious, and will, in part, appear hereinafter.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fastening device embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation, partly in section, of the fastening device of Fig. 1 assembled onto an operating member of a mechanism, illustrating one step in attaching the fastener to a wire or the like;

Fig. 3 is a view in section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2';

Fig. 4.. is a View similar to Fig. 2 in which the fastener has been closed to engage the wire; and

Fig. 5 is a view in section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view in elevation of the fastener of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated a fastener it, which is adapted for assembly onto the end of a wire l 2, to enable the wire to be attached to an operating member is of a mechanism which is to operated by push or pull forces applied to the wire.

yIFhe fastener it is preferably formed of a single piece of sheet metal and comprises generally a pair of arms Iii and i8 which extend generally in the same direction from a flexible junction 2B and diverge slightly from each other. An attaching portion 22 having an opening 23 is provided for attaching the fastener to the operating member l 1i of a mechanism and the attaching member, in the illustrated embodiment, extends alongside the arm it in spaced relation thereto, and is connected to the arm it at the end opposite the junction 2t by a reverse bend portion 2t.

The arms it and i 8 are adapted for movement toward and away from each other, and to retain the arms in the closed position after they have been moved together, the it is provided with a bent end portion 2 which extends generally toward the plane of the arm it, and a depending hook member 28 is provided on the bent end portion 25 for engagement in opening 3! in the reverse bend portion. The bent end portion 2'6 is disposed at such an angle to the arm l 8 to which q it is attached that when the arms are moved together, the hook member 2S rides up the adjacent side of the reverse bend portion 2li, exing the bent end portion slightly outwardly, so that when the hook passes the edge of the opening, it snaps downwardly into the opening and locks behind the edge thereof.

The arms i6 and I8 are provided with openings 32 and. 3d respectively, which are disposed in the medial portion of the arms opposite one another to receive the wire l2, so that the wire may be passed through the openings to extend between the arms. To provide means for gripping engagement with the wire, a tongue 36 is provided on the arm It which is formed from the metal of the arm, and is disposed on the side of the arm which is adjacent the opposite arm I8. The tongue 36 is attached to the arm adjacent the opening 32, and extends in spaced relation to the plane of the arm downwardly toward the junction 2li terminating in a free end S8 which is normally spaced out of alignment with the openings 32 and 34, so that the wire may be passed therethrough without interference by the tongue. The tongue is flexible toward and away from the plane of the arm i6 about the junction with the arm, so that When the tongue is flexed toward the arm, the distance between the free end 33 and the opposite edge s0 of the opening decreases, thereby partially restricting the opening 32. To provide means for actuating the wire-gripping tongue, a projecting tab G2 is provided on the arm I8, which is formed from the metal of the arm and extends generally toward the opposite arm it. The tab 42 is so spaced on the arm It that when the arms are moved into the closed position, the tab 42 contacts the tongue 3d near the end thereof to force the tongue toward the plane of the arm l5.

To assemble the fastener iti onto the wire and the operating member ifi, the fastener is placed over the edge of the operating member so that the attaching portion li and the arm it are disposed on opposite sides thereof. The opening 23 in the attaching portion and the opening 32 in the arm are aligned with an opening Ml in the operating member, and the end oi the wire i2 is then passed through the openings 23 in the attaching portion, the opening ad in the operating member, and the openings and 34 in the arms (see Fig. 2) The arms are then Joroed together, so that the hook 2t engages in the opening in the reverse bend portion and retains the arms in the closed position (see Fig. 4). As the arms come together, the tab 0:2 engages the tongue and fiexes it toward the plane oi the arm it, so that the end of the tongue contacts the wire. As the tab di?. forces the tongue further inwardly, the wire is gripped firmly between the end oi the tongue and the opposite edge Iii? of the opening. 1f the wire is sufficiently rigid, it will also be forced firmly against the lower edge it of the opening 34, to increase the rictional engagement of the fastener with the wire.

When the fastener is in the open position, the arm i8 diverges from the plane of the arm i6; consequently, as the arms are moved together, the distance from the end of the tongue 3@ to a line connecting the lower edge of the openings 32 and decreases, or, in other words, the lower edge d5 of the opening Sci moves upwardly in relation to the end of the tongue 3S as the arms are moved together. Consequently, as the arms are closed when the wire is assembled therein, the portion of the wire between the opening 3Q and the tongue is bent upwardly, which tends to increase the frictional engagement of the wire with both the tongue and the edge lit of the opening 34, and the wire is thereby nrmly held by the fastener against longitudinal movement therein.

The portion of the wire extending through the openings in the attaching portion and the operating member retains the fastener in assembly with the operating member without the use of any auxiliary parts, and push or pull movement applied to the Wire is transmitted through the fastener to the operating member.

The construction of the fastener allows rapid adjustment of the wire therein, merely by releasing the hook 2% so that the arms it and i8 spring apart, thereby releasing the gripping engagement of the tongue 35 and the lower edge it of the opening del. rThereafter the wire may be easily moved longitudinally to a desired position, and the fastener may then be engaged with the wire as hereinbefore described.

The fastener it may be rapidly and economically provided on automatic machinery from a continuous strip of sheet metal, and is particularly adapted for use in assembly line production of automobiles and the like.

Since certain obvious modifications may be made in the device without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained herein be interpreted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

A fastening device for assembly onto a wire or the like, comprising a pair of arrns joined at one end and extending generally in the same direction, one arm having a bent end portion which extends generally toward the plane of the other arm, said bent end portion having means thereon for engaging said other arm when the arms are moved together to retain the arms in a closed position, said arms having opposed openings in the medial portion, and opposed projecting tongues formed therefrom, one of said projecting tongues being deformable into a wire-engaging position by movement toward the plane of the arm to which it is attached, the other projecting tongue being disposed for engagement with said one projecting tongue to deform it into a wireengaging position when said arms are moved into the closed position.

References Cited in the file oi this patent UNTTED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 814,084 Rypinski Mar. 6, 1905 823,068 Mosley June 12, 1906 1,152,892 Henry Sept. 7, 1915 2,566,886 Hartman Sept. 4, 1951 

